Vegan Baking Articles

Yeast is a very temperamental beast and may not activate fully if subjected to things like excessive sugars, salts and acids. If possible, add these ingredients after the yeast has gotten a chance to activate for best results.

Whip cream is frosting's long lost cousin. This is a good thing because it's enabled us to top everything from pies to ice cream to cake with it's creamy goodness. Sensing a vacuum in the vegan whip cream space since Hip Whip disappeared from the market (RIP Now and Zen), Soyatoo has stepped up to the plate with Rice Whip and Soy Whip. These vegan whipped creams give you no excuses to leave any tastebuds behind in your quest for the ultimate desserts.

I tested this whip on some Pumpkin Cheesecake to see how it stacked up. Is it worth it's compressed nitrous oxide? Read on to find out.

In these trying times purchasing baking ingredients to sustain your sweet tooth/hobby can add up. Many of us have more time than funds these days so it can be fun to discover the art producing things we take for granted. This is the heart of what DIY culture is all about. It's fascinating to create, learn and save some dough in the process.

Lately I took that approach to making homemade vanilla extract and was able to create a one that was comparable to high end extract for slightly more than half the cost.

I've always recommended to have at least one thermometer in the oven at all times. Do you really want to trust that other shady built-in oven thermometer? Last I saw that dude he was blinking 12:00 like it was actually that time (maybe it was). The fact is, your built-in oven thermometer is usually off and it's a good idea to take steps to correct oven temperatures before you wake up and realize that you've grown into an adult at the same house accompanied by almost 1,053 slightly burned Friday night pizzas.

Around 150 years ago it became cost effective to mass mill grains into the shelf stable product we know of as flour. Since this time, a host of health related anomalies have been occurring in the United States. The beginning of the mass production of food is regarded as marking the beginning of the Standard American Diet, or more appropriately named, the SAD diet. These health issues are likely caused by products containing flour and sugars that, after they're quickly digested, turn into a flash flood of sugar that our bodies aren't capable of handling multiple times a day. To reduce having major health issues later in life, we'd like to remind you that highly processed foods should be enjoyed in moderation. When you're not overindulging in desserts, It's a good idea to eat natural food that is minimally processed and provides consistent energy without spiking your blood sugar. Luckily, this can be done while still eating amazing food. Enter Manna Bread.

During the Fall there are few things better than pumpkin infused treats like pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins and pumpkin cookies. Probably the least understood part of making these treats is getting the pumpkin purée out of the pumpkin. There are lots of different ways to make pumpkin purée. Some methods use boiling pumpkin chunks in water, others use baking the pumpkin in the oven. Still other methods detail using the microwave. Each method has it's pros and cons. Read on to find out how to select the best pumpkin and recommended steps for making good quality pumpkin purée.

I love baking with vegan margarines like Earth Balance because they taste almost as good as butter and contain no hydrogenated oils. Hydrogenated oils are oils where hydrogen is forced into oil at high pressure. This chemically changes the unsaturated fatty acids into saturated ones. The benefit of this is that the oil is solid at room temperature and has an extended shelf life. The drawback of this is that trans fats are created during this process. In the 1980's food scientists began to notice adverse health affects associated with trans fat intake. This finding has led to a disaster in the food industry as food processors scramble to re-engineer their food to forgo hydrogenated oils but allow them to retain their flavor, shelf life, consistency and profit margins.

One of the reasons Fall is the best time of year for baking is the plethora of fruits and vegetables that have been growing to perfection all summer. Of these, apples are one of the most appreciated and varied. It's common to dedicate a whole afternoon to apple picking, searching for our favorite varieties in nature's perfect form and discovering new varieties along the way.

These little beauties were picked up recently at the local health food store. Actually they weren't little by any means, measuring about four inches across. They're from Cindy Klotz Productions which is a secret vegan cookie lab located inside a volcano guarded by unicorns. Ok, we just made that last part up. But there is no website info on the cookie and we're a little dumbfounded as to where to find more information about these cookies. A website that made us feel all warm and snuggly while at the same time describing their cookies would be a great place to start. Update: Cindy Klotz Productions now has a website!

When it comes to things like pizzas, it's a good idea to increase the fun factor by topping it with some vegan cheese. Vegan cheeses have improved vastly over the last decade and it's often difficult to keep up with the latest offerings. I've always wondered how vegan cheeses would fair side by side in regards to flavor, meltiness and overall authenticity. In this review I'll show you how well these cheeses faired in those regards and let you know which topping came out on top.

I used to think that ice cream scoops were kind of a joke. Why not just use a spoon and run it under warm water before for the best scooping action? That's all fine and dandy if you just want to get ice cream into a bowl. There's something to be said about presentation though, especially when it comes to desserts. As humans, we're very visual when it comes to interpreting things like food and this does make a difference with how food is perceived. You might only be concerned with getting ice cream into your mouth with the least amount of effort but if you're interested in making the best possible eating experience then it's a good idea to pay attention to your visual presentation. Also if you frequently serve ice cream, convenience is key. When it comes to ice cream this is where the Zeroll Original Ice Cream Scoop comes in.

Unfortunately, if you cook and bake a lot you will eventually have to pay the 'kitchen tax' and sustain a cut. Make sure you have bandages on hand so when this happens you can deal with it and carry on with your baking. Running to the store to get bandages in the middle of baking something can be just a tad inconvenient.

One of the many tricks to mastering pie crusts is keeping your ingredients cool so the fat doesn't melt before the crust hits the oven. When the fat melts, the crust turns out tough and mealy instead of light and flaky. Use ice water (without the cubes) and keep your flour and bowls in the refrigerator beforehand to keep things as cool as possible.